Organiser of Oakland artist commune rave where 33 people burned to death ‘laughed at warnings that the building was a death trap’

One claimed: "When people told him it was a deathtrap, he would laugh"

BY JOHN SHAMMAS

5th December 2016, 7:32 am

Updated: 5th December 2016, 12:23 pm

THE man believed to have organised a warehouse party that ended in tragedy when a fire ripped through the building killing 33 people has been accused of "laughing off" previous warnings about the venue.

Derick Ion Almena, the operator of the Ghost Ship venue that went up in flames during a rave in Oakland California, is now being investigated by authorities.

Facebook

Derick Ion took to social media to complain that he was standing 'in poverty of self worth'

AP:Associated Press

This aerial shot reveals the devastation caused by the deadly blaze

He was slammed after taking to social media hours just after the blaze, writing: "Confirmed.

"Everything I worked so hard for is gone.

"Blessed that my children and Micah were at a hotel safe and sound... it's as if I have awoken from a dream filled with opulence and hope.... to be standing now in poverty of self worth."

Reuters

Plumes of smoke were seen issuing from the warehouse after the blaze broke out in Oakland, California

EPA

The blaze took hours to control with firefighters faced with changing conditions

AP:Associated Press

Genevieve Griseau, whose friends are believed to have been trapped inside the warehouse, attends a memorial at nearby Chapel of the Chimes

AP:Associated Press

Flowers and candles have been laid at the site after the tragic news rocked the Oakland community

And now a nanny who worked for Almena and his wife has claimed that he was previously warned about he building being a "death trap".

She told Mail Online: "When people told him it was a deathtrap, he would laugh. In Derick's mind he was creating this amazing art space, and everything going on there was the most amazing thing ever.

"I was disgusted by his Facebook post, but it was typical Derick."

"I'm telling you anybody who was upstairs, if there was a fire started anywhere downstairs, the likelihood of you being able to get out of that building is slim to none.

"And there were no fire alarms, no sprinklers, nothing."

Following his comments on Facebook, Almena was slammed online for being "insensitive".

One woman wrote: "Did you see all his old screen caps? Where is just one sentence about the victims?

"This was 1 hour after deaths were announced. Where's the status saying he is praying or hoping more are found alive? He's an addict, crazy, psychopath".

Another wrote: "Fella, bang out of order. Up to 33 souls died at your unsafe venue, and you can do is bleat".

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Authorities have now confirmed that the warehouse did not have a party permit - with investigations ongoing as to whether the building was illegally being used as a residential housing.

The 4,000sqft structure had previously been described online as an "earth home bomb bunker helter skelter spelunker shelters and Indonesian straw huts rolling into valleys and down alleys."

A former family friend, Danielle Boudreaux, told SF Gate that she had become increasingly concerned about the building.

She said fire authorities had been at the site several times, saying: "Multiple people warned Derick that it was a death trap. He would laugh it off. This tragedy could have been avoided if it were not for his arrogance.”

oaklandghostship.com

The Ghost Ship venue and Satya Yuga Art Collective is now being investigated after it was destroyed in a fire that claimed dozens of lives

oaklandghostship.com

There was a pending investigation at the warehouse with authorities saying there was an illegal interior building structure

oaklandghostship.com

Authorities have described the warehouse as a 'maze'

Almena was reportedly living in the warehouse with his wife and children, who had been staying at a hotel when the tragedy unfolded.